Community Cats
Program
Cat Depot’s Community Cats Program assists both animals and people around our community by providing a variety of services to improve the lives of free-roaming and feral cats.
Community Cats are un-owned cats that live outdoors in the community. They may be feral or friendly, may have been born into the wild, or may be lost or abandoned pets.
Our community cats program provides assistance for free-roaming and feral cats as well as aid for community members seeking help caring for both community and personal cats.
TNVR
Trap-Neuter-Vaccinate-Return (TNVR) is a program in which free roaming cats are humanely trapped, spayed/neutered, vaccinated for rabies and other feline viruses, microchipped and then returned to their outdoor home to live out their lives. TNVR involves a caretaker who provides food, adequate shelter and monitoring of the cat’s health. TNVR has been shown to be the least costly most efficient and humane way of stabilizing community, feral, outdoor cat populations.
TNVR every other Sunday, reservations are required. Call 941-366-2404 ext. 301 to schedule!
- No cost, but donations are always requested as this in an unfunded program whose future relies solely on public donations
- Cats must arrive and leave in a trap
- Includes ear tip, spay or neuter surgery, FVRCP, Rabies
- Optional services available at additional cost
The attached Medical Release Form will be required on arrival. We recommend to print and complete this form in advance to save time. One is required for each cat.
Cats must be kept in a safe place overnight following their surgery. Please read the attached “TNVR Take Home Instructions.”
This application does not guarantee acceptance or surgery space for a TNVR surgery date. You will be contacted by a staff member for further details and scheduling.
Food Bank
Cat Depot is aware that some families in our community might need assistance in feeding their beloved pets due to financial hardship.
We provide life essential supplies such as wet and dry food for 250 personal pets and over 700 community/free-roaming cats in Sarasota and Manatee Counties every month!
Donations are always welcome in the form of dry or wet cat food. We will take open bags of fresh cat food.
We’ve selected in-stock items on Amazon to make it easier to donate from the comfort and safety of your home.
Items can be dropped off at Cat Depot daily from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Working Cats
Traditional home adoptions aren’t for every cat. Our Working Cat Program works to find outdoor homes for cats and kittens.
Why adopt a Working Cat?
- They serve as excellent critter control – even if they are not particularly skilled hunters
- Studies have shown that just the smell of cats on your property might even be enough to keep mice away
- They are an eco-friendly solution to your vermin problems
- They can be low-maintenance
- They are spayed/neutered, vaccinated, and microchipped
- They have a waived adoption fee
- And most importantly, it saves lives!
TNVR Trap Rentals
Cat Depot provides humane trap rentals as a service to the community for the purpose of TNVR, trapping injured cats for medical treatments, trapping an escaped house cat or for the purpose of relocation.
The fee for humane trap rental is $5 per week, for a maximum of 4 weeks at a time. If the trap is not returned by the end of the month, we may charge a $100 replacement fee per humane trap.
Request a Trap
Humane traps can be picked up from Cat Depot 7 days a week between the hours of 11:00am and 5:00pm.
Please call 941-366-2404 to inquire about the availability of humane traps and to reserve a humane trap for pickup.
Please email communitycats@catdepot.org for more information regarding our community cats programs
We do not rent traps for people to take nuisance cats to Animal Services.
Renting a humane trap from Cat Depot does not mean Cat Depot will take responsibility for that cat.
TNVR services must be arranged separately through Cat Depot’s Shelter Medical Department.